13 June 2007

In this Update: RWA Update June 2007 / The PCYC Offer Examined / Preparing for the Great North Eveleigh Railway Land Sale / The Chippendale - Eveleigh Rail Heritage Tango / Rail, Tram & Bus Union (RTBU) Request Forum on Rail Tourism / CUB Site Sold but Concept Approval is under legal challenge / The ILC - National Indigenous Development Centre (Former Redfern School) submissions open until Friday 15 June 2007 / Aboriginal Cultural Assessment of Former Redfern Court House and Police Station / Housing Proposal for former Rachael Forster Hospital / South Sydney Leagues’ Club DA – On exhibition until 6th July 2007 / Work Cover Fine Police Force over Redfern Riot / Redfern Waterloo Community Safety / REDWatch Local Action Plan Grant Submission / 2007 City of Sydney Business Awards – Voting until 24th July / Sustainable Sydney 2030 / Concern over Dan Murphy’s DA for Fountain Street Alexandria / South Sydney Herald June 2007 / New Look RedWater News / New at CarriageWorks / Have your say – Summary of Current Consultations

Dear All

[Please use the list of articles at the top of the email to
find what is of interest to you. We do not expect you to be interested in
everything. Depending on your email programme and computer settings these
headings may also give you a link to jump directly to the story of interest.]

The RWA has produced an eight page Redfern Waterloo Update June 2007 (pdf ~322kb) which can be
downloaded from the RWA website. As usual a text version appears on the
REDWatch website so readers can link directly to an article of interest and so
the information can be easily found in a search of the REDWatch website. While
the update covers some material that we have earlier covered it also contains
much new information.

The Update leads with Redfern
public housing gets $27 million boost about the Elizabeth
St Department of Housing (DoH) development announcement followed by four pieces
about North Eveleigh renewal. Community
markets to open by April 2008 is about the RWA’s proposal for the
Blacksmith’s Shop (just finished its exhibition period); the second Eveleigh
Heritage Walk is about the proposed pedestrian and cycle bridge joining
North and South Eveleigh which will provide views of the former rail yards; the
third article Construction
training commences at Yaama covers the first 8 week Koori Job Ready course for the construction industry and
other courses running on the bottom level of Yaama Dhinawan Training College
and finally in Future
development of surplus lands the RWA announces that it will obtain a
concept plan for the site sell off North Eveleigh for re-development in line
with its Built Environment Plan.

On the Human Services side Quick
cooking on a budget covers how the RWA, in partnership with Sydney Day
Nursery (SDN) Redfern, recently ran an ‘Easy Cooking on a Budget’ course for
six young mothers on low income within the area. In $1
million for new PCYC the Update announces that the RWA and the Department
of Housing will make $1 million available to the PCYC to move to the ILC school
site re-development.

The Human
Services Plan update reveals that Phase 2 of the Human Services Plan has
not yet gone to NSW Cabinet but is expected to do so “shortly”. The other
significant information released in the Human Services section of the update is
that RWA Trust Fund is to be functioning by July 2007 and that it will operate
as a sub-fund under the umbrella of the Sydney Community Foundation (SCF) (www.sydneycommunityfoundation.org.au).
The RWA Board has approved seed funding totalling $250,000 over the next five
years to enable the fund to be established. The fund will have tax deductible
status and it has been established to provide a vehicle for private sector involvement
in supporting local Human Service Plan initiatives.

The final article on the Community
Health Centre says that progress of the plans for the former court and
police station site is on track with approval expected in August. This means
that the plans will be on public exhibition in late June / July. The article
also reveals that the concept plan for the former Rachel Forster
Hospital site is expected
to be lodged with the Minister for Planning in June 2007, with the sale of the
site expected to be completed in early 2008. This means that public exhibition
and comment on this site is also expected in the near future. We have taken up
some of the issues raised in the RWA Update in later parts of our update below.

While the RWA Update has announced that the RWA and the
DoH have each offered $500,000 to encourage the PCYC to move to the former
school site. The PCYC is still to decide if it will stay and renovate where it
is and take up the DoH 50 year lease offer or if it will move to the ILC site.
The PCYC say they will feel embarrassed if the costs of the PCYC element of the
NIDC is forced onto the ILC and that they have written to the new Minister for
Housing asking for $1.5 million from the DoH rather than the $0.5m offered. If
the PCYC does not take up the lease they argue the current site will be
available to DoH for other uses and that in 2005 the Valuer General valued the
site (with existing use) at $2.5m. The RWA and the DoH say that the project is
workable for the ILC with their $1m and the $600,000 that PCYC have set aside
towards either renovating the existing premises or as a contribution to the new
building, whereas PCYC believe this will see the ILC paying more than it should
towards the new building. The RWA and DoH say that their offer is final and
that the NSW Government will not put more into the project. The RWA’s $500,000
share of the contribution is contingent, in part, on the new PCYC also serving
as a one-stop-shop for youth services in accordance with the Cabinet-endorsed
Human Services Plan (Phase 1).

The PCYC and the ILC will also ask for just over $3
million from the Commonwealth Regional Partnerships Scheme to cover the balance
cost of the new PCYC building. The PCYC has also approached the City of Sydney for a contribution
but they have declined. Clover Moore has earlier expressed
her concern that the proceeds of the sale of the Paddington PCYC site were not
reinvested into improved PCYC facilities and services in the surrounding areas.
Both local MPs Clover Moore and Kristina Keneally have been supportive of the PCYC
move to the ILC development. Everyone awaits the PCYC final decision.

“The RWA is working closely with State Rail
and RailCorp on the preparation of surplus North Eveleigh
lands for sale. The first stage is expected to be the marketing of the western
end of the 10.5 hectare site in early 2008 for future residential development.
Proceeds from this sale will be committed towards preparing the remainder of
the site for disposal and development in accordance with the planning vision
developed by the RWA under the Built Environment Plan. Residual proceeds from
the completed sale process are expected to be committed towards the future
provision of essential public infrastructure in Redfern-Waterloo.”

The current proposal has changed so that now concept plan
approval for both the Eastern and Western ends of the site will be sought at
the same time and then the land, with the concept plan approval in one or more
lots, will be offered for sale to interested developers who will be responsible
for the redevelopments. Importantly it is currently proposed that heritage
buildings within the site will be sold as part of the site. The eastern end of
the site contains the Chief Mechanical Engineers Office Building, the
Scientific Services Buildings No.1, the Telecommunications Equipment Centre and
the Paint Shop. To the West the Clothing Store and the pre 1911 Timber Shed
Extension are considered of Historical Interest but not listed as heritage
items under the SEPP.

The RWA’s current plan will see buildings of historical
significance move from government to private ownership with the purchasing
developer responsible for preserving and finding a use for the heritage
buildings within North Eveleigh. While it
would be difficult to find someone to restore the CME’s building on a stand
alone basis, the RWA expect that by selling it as part of a land parcel which
also permits high rise (up to 16 storeys under the RWA BEP behind the CME
building) that developers will be prepared to buy the heritage items because of
the other development opportunities the site offers.

While the strategy makes sense for a cash-strapped RWA, it
will leave many in the heritage, rail and local communities very nervous. Much
will depend on how well development criteria are tied down in the concept plan
and the subsequent diligence of the Department of Planning, the Minister, the
RWA and the community in ensuring that the initial provisions are adhered to.
While the RWA may start with good intentions a purchasing developer can go back
to the Department and seek changes to the concept plan and then can seek
further changes in the finalising of the designs and DA / building plans.
Maximising the return on the development investment is central to the
development process and where the development includes significant heritage
sites there will have to be close monitoring to ensure heritage values are
maintained.

Moving rail heritage items to the ownership of a developer
and them on-selling a restored / adaptively reused heritage building to a new
owner makes it difficult to see how an integrated heritage outcome for Eveleigh
can be achieved. Such a proposal has been floated by Brian
Dunnett and Robert J. Haworth in their in Australian Folklore
21, 2006 article The
Fate of Eveleigh: More of ‘Ugly Sydney’ or an Enhancement of the Greatest Rail
Heritage Site in the World? The RWA’s decision to call the bridge between
North and South Eveleigh the Eveleigh
Heritage Walk may be as close as Dunnett and Haworth’s dream gets to a heritage walk that links all
the sites together and tells their story. It falls far short of the development
of a similar site at Midland Railway Workshop Interpretive Centre in WA.

We have earlier reported on the problems that Chippendale
residents have had with heritage engines over-nighting at Mortuary Station to
avoid use of Eveleigh. In a new development Mortuary was used to coal the 3801
engine during the blustery conditions of Friday 8th June (while the Hunter Valley
was being flooded out). Friends of Eveleigh have released photos of the coaling
in their latest media release Friends
of Eveleigh Media Release 11th June 2007 - PDF (685Kb PDF).

The media release also documents that engine 3801 has
recently been turning at Eveleigh which makes much more sense that at Meeks Road or Marrickville.
Interestingly the engine turned and took on water at Eveleigh on 8th
June but for some reason was then moved to Mortuary station to take on coal.
Local Chippendale residents are concerned about a persistent rumour that
RailCorp has plans to add facilities at Mortuary station to regularly allow
coal to be taken on, as for heritage rail engines to be watered and de-ashed
next to the restored sandstone heritage station.

The Friends of Eveleigh media release also documents
recent thefts of rail heritage property throughout the state and argues that
Eveleigh is still the best location for security, coaling, turning and watering
for the states valuable heritage rail assets. Everyone is now in apparent
agreement that the Large is in good condition. A modest investment of $3million
over 5 years is needed to continue its current use. Why then would RailCorp not
want to keep the Large as part of its rail heritage strategy? This would seem
to be a far better option than to build storage facilities elsewhere and to
hand the Large over to the RWA for an adaptive reuse or to be replaced by a 12
storey building as allowed in the RWA Built Environment Plan.

An Inquiry is to be held into tourism in NSW. The RTBU have
had discussions with the Office of Railway Heritage and have now written to the
secretariat for the Inquiry requesting that they convene a forum on rail
tourism as part of the Inquiry. The forum would be to explore the potential
role that rail tourism and sites like those at Eveleigh can play in NSW
Tourism. We are sure that such a forum will be welcomed by a range of people
who are of the view that rail heritage tourism can provide an economic base for
keeping some of Eveleigh in active rail heritage use. The RTBU letter can be
downloaded from Rail,
Tram & Bus Union Request Forum on Rail Tourism (156 Kb PDF). If you are
interested in such a forum, or have suggestions for it, we suggest you contact
Marianne Hammerton (The Office of Rail Heritage), Sally Edwards (The Director
of the Tourism Review), or the RTB Union with any suggestions or expressions of
interest.

Meanwhile Matthew
Drake-Brockman is taking the Minister and the CUB site concept approval to
court to try and have the concept plan amended – for more information see The
Australian of 12 June 2007 article Fight for green buildings.
Although Matthew has been granted Legal Aid, the real benefit is that he is
indemnified against cost recovery by the Minister and Fosters. He has been granted $10,000 towards his own
costs, but these are estimated to be approximately $40,000. Matthew and his supporters therefore need to
raise $30,000, preferably before the first hearing date of 24 July 2007. If you
have suggestions or can assist in this fundraising please contact Lindsay at focus@pacific.net.au or turn up at Peace Park Cafe
(previously Mark Anthony's) on the corner of Myrtle and Buckland Streets on
Thursday 14 June at 7.00 pm for an update and a discussion on fundraising.

Local residents have until Friday 15th June to
make their submissions on the ILC proposals for the former Redfern School
site. Given the national nature of the project and what many see as its lack of
connection to the local community there has been some concern about the ILC’s
request to the Minister that the project be exempted from the RWA development
contributions under the RWA Contribution Plans. There are also concerns about
the possible impact of noise and lighting from the site on surrounding units
especially if the training area is in use until 10pm. If you have any issues
you wish to raise you need to do so to the Department of Planning (DoP) before
Friday 15th June 2007. The plans can be inspected at the Redfern
Service Centre at 1 Lawson Square
or can be downloaded from the DoP website at http://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/asp/06_0267.asp

Some archaeological investigation work has begun on the site
resulting in the car park gates being closed with no public access to that part
of the property. The ILC consultant’s letter-boxed properties neighbouring the
site to advise them of the archaeological work and that the proposals for the
site are on exhibition.

The Aboriginal community’s history and association with
the former Police Station and Redfern Court House is being researched by
Austral Archaeology, which has been commissioned by Atkinson Capital Insight.
This research will be part of a cultural and social interpretative display to
be incorporated into its re-development as the Redfern Community Health Centre.
To do a full interpretative display Austral Archaeology are asking members of
the local Aboriginal community to contribute their stories, histories,
associations (good and bad) with the old Police Station and Courthouse. They
are hoping to carry out this research over the next couple of months, so are in
the process of compiling a list of people who are willing to talk to them in
the near future. If you have anything you would like to contribute to this
study please feel free to contact Gretta Logue at Austral Archaeology Pty Ltd,
Shop 1, 92 Percival Road Stanmore NSW 2048, Tel: 02 9568 6701 Fax: 02 9568 6702
or by email on Gretta@australarchaeology.com.au
. (Hopefully this explanation is slightly clearer than the advertisements that
appeared recently in local papers about the consultation Aboriginal Cultural Assessment:
The Former Redfern Court House and Police Station, NSW.)

The RWA expect to have
its application on the site back to the DoP in the next week or two, so expect
the RWA plans for this site to also go on public exhibition in the not too
distant future. It is expected that the site will be sold in early 2008 with an
approved concept plan and the funds will be used towards the new Community
Health Centre.

The key elements of
the preferred design concept are outlined below:

Approximate floor space of 14,000sqm and a
floor space ratio of 2:1. This will yield approximately 120 – 150 dwellings,
depending of the unit mix and size.

Retention and adaptive reuse of the existing
Building 1, including the addition of one storey to the existing building. This
will result in an overall building height of 6 storeys above ground level plus
a basement level.

Demolition of Building 2, with the exception
of the existing colonnade fronting Pitt
Street, which will be retained. A new building 2
will be built behind the colonnade with an overall height of 3 storeys and a
similar footprint to the existing building.

Demolition of Building 3 and construction of
a new residential building on a similar footprint that maximizes residential
amenity. The proposed new building will have a height of three storeys above
ground level. The existing Building 3 includes a sub-basement level, which will
be incorporated within the new building.

Construct a new building, Building 4,
adjacent to the western boundary of the site.

Provision of open space along Pitt Street in
front of Building 2. The open space will be publicly assessable and aim to
provide an environment that will encourage an active and safe green space for
use by the surrounding community.

Car parking at basement level.

South Sydney
Leagues’ Club DA – On exhibition until 6th July 2007

Readers of the Daily
Telegraph article Redfern lament
or those locals who heard about the Club’s briefings on their DA plans, will be
aware of what the redevelopment plans propose a supermarket on the ground
floor. Details of the DA for 261-265
Chalmers Street have now gone on public exhibition
at the Redfern Service centre or on
the web. The DA proposes:

“Alterations to the South Sydney Leagues Club
building. Proposed works include extension of the third and fourth floors,
provision of balconies along the eastern facade of the building, and
modification of the Chalmers and Douglas
Street facades. Approval is also sought for the
future use of the building in principle - this includes a supermarket on the
ground floor, the leagues and football club on the first floor and use of the
second, third and fourth floors as commercial offices. 191 car spaces are
proposed to be provided for these uses in the basement of the adjoining
building.”

Construction is about to begin on the upgrade of Redfern Park and Oval. Building contractor
Hansen Yuncken was awarded the contract and has taken possession of the site to
begin the work. For more information see Construction Newsletter June 2007 | PDF 706Kb.

You may have noticed reports that Russell Crowe and
Anthony LaPaglia have been having discussions about developing a new inner city
stadium. In Tick for new
stadium, with a few conditions the SMH said that they were looking at the
ATP as a site for the stadium. It looks pie in the sky at ATP as the RWA CEO, Robert Domm, has said there have been no discussions
and that a stadium would not fit into the ATP!

The NSW Police Force has been fined $100,000 because it
failed to protect its officers during the Redfern riot. WorkCover said police
were left exposed without adequate equipment and a lack of training. The
equipment had defects including scratched helmet visors, and handles broken on
shields. For further details see Force's $100,000 riot fine
.

The Redfern Waterloo June 2007 Safety Newsletter | PDF 690Kb has
been distributed around the area. If you did not see it you can download it
from the link above. A couple of months back REDWatch had John Maynard
update it on the activities of the Redfern Waterloo Safety Strategy and
Taskforce. Since it was established under the stewardship of the council, in
the days of the Redfern Waterloo Partnership Project, it has been a highly
effective working group giving both residents and agencies a say on addressing
the important community safety concerns. REDWatch is very supportive of John, the Taskforce and way in which community
participation is encouraged and greatly appreciated hearing about the results
of the strategy.

Part of the community safety agenda is to provide
opportunities for the community to come together and meet their neighbours and
create community cohesion. REDWatch supports the proposed introduction by
Council of Community Action Plan Grants as another mechanism that brings the
community together in some common activity. Following the axing of the
introduction of this programme in the City’s Budget REDWatch has made a
submission to council arguing for this programme to be reintroduced into the
City’s 2007-8 budget. REDWatch has also argued that the city should explore
mechanisms that allow community activities to be covered under Council’s public
liability insurance in a similar manner to that which is possible in North Sydney and Manly. The REDWatch submission can be
downloaded from REDWatch
Submission on LAP Grants (23Kb PDF).

Do you have a favourite business in Redfern, Waterloo, Eveleigh or Darlington then why not vote for it
in the fourth annual City of Sydney
Business Awards. You could also win a $1000 shopping
spree. You can vote for an exceptional local business across 29 categories
including; fashion, fresh food, cafes, takeaway, gyms, bars, hotels and
hairdressers, as well as new categories of disability inclusiveness,
environmental stores and services. For a chance to win, vote for your favourite
business at www.thebusinessawards.com
or look out for entry coupons at local businesses, in local publications or
branches of the Commonwealth Bank or telephone 02 9264 0757.

The City of Sydney
is putting together its long term plan called Sustainable Sydney 2030. Like the
NSW State Plan, it provides an opportunity to think about where and how we want
to live in 2030 and how we will get there. For sometime we have complained
about the lack of forward planning by the RWA and council. Hopefully the
process of developing the 2030 plan will start to address some of these issues
such as looking at what services will be needed in Redfern Waterloo by a
population double its present size. An increase in people with children staying
in the inner city will result in increased needs for services such as childcare
and schools, while a large aged population will require greater services for
the aged. How will we get around? How will we reach green house gas targets?
Such questions need to be addressed in a long term strategy.

The City is just starting a range of consultations and
studies that will be held over the next year. More information can be found at Sustainable
Sydney 2030

Residents in Alexandria and
in Redfern Waterloo have expressed concern about a recent DA to allow a Dan
Murphy’s Liquor Supermarket to operate seven days a week until 12 midnight in Fountain Street
near Alexandria Park School.
A number of objections were raised,
including noise, encouraging alcohol consumption, the proximity of Alexandria Park
school, that the operating hours meant the store would be open after the
neighbouring pubs closed which would encourage drinking in the school grounds
and Alexandria Park, parking and traffic issues. There
is concern that an influx of low cost take away liquor into the area will
exasperate existing street drinking problems. REDWatch have expressed their
concern to council and the RWA has also made a submission, however a
pre-existing liquor licence on the site makes all but limiting the late
operating hours difficult.

A new look RedWater News is on its way.
If you would like a peek at July
2007 (PDF 2.4MB) issue you can download it from the REDWatch website.
RedWater News is produced for public housing tenants by the Redfern and Waterloo Neighbourhood Advisory Boards
through the Housing Communities Assistance Program (HCAP). Articles in
the latest issue include: Green Light for the redevelopment of Elizabeth Street; Precinct Letters; Redfern Waterloo
needs you; Noel Person - Food for thought; Artwork in Progress; Photo Voices;
Walk more feel the difference; Tongue in Cheek; Snippets; Take care - police
comments on avoiding bag snatches; Useful contacts and local services and
activities.

If you are looking for things to do in Redfern Waterloo
visit the CarriageWorks website www.carriageworks.com.au
to see what is happening or add your email address to their email list. Some of
the events are free such as UNDERBELLY, a 10 day Arts Lab that is taking over
every nook and cranny in this immense building; a post-show talk with the
BEYOND BELIEF cast on 4 August; 10 YEARS FROM THE HEART, a photographic
exhibition portraying life in Redfern; and Performance Spaces’ REELDANCE #03, a
series of installations exploring dance and the moving image.

Among the events coming up that may be of local interest
are:

10 YEARS FROM THE
HEART - A photographic exhibition of Redfern Waterloo by Lisa Hogben.
Redfern in Sydney
wears a coat of many colours. A dominant colour is black, the black of the
first Australians who have held on for dear life in this innermost urban area.
- 28 May - 31 July | 11am - 5pm Monday to Friday | Free |More...

NGALARINGI NANAMI
DYARALANG (OUR DREAMING) Short performances, dance, film and song will be
presented over two nights by emerging and established indigenous artists. 22 -
23 June | $15 + BF |More...

Have your say – Summary of Current
Consultations

Below we have listed consultations currently open for
community input and provided a link for further information: